Davon Dale Renaldo Hernandez
Davon Dale Renaldo Hernandez was taught that then we are in service to our fellow man, we are in service to God. Even after having various experiences with loss and trauma, he still dedicated almost half of his 33 years on earth to working with NGOs and community groups to effect change in various communities. Whether as a missionary volunteer with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, religious education teacher or now as interim CEO of Future Focus International, his vision remains focused on advocacy, empowerment and life skills training for the youth. This is what this Vega de Oropouche, Sangre Grande “servant leader” told MENtions:
I grew up in the small community of Vega de Oropuche, off the Toco Main Road, a few minutes from, Sangre Grande. My grandparents, Rexford Boney & Rita Hernandez-Boney had 14 children altogether. As far as I can remember, my younger years were always filled with adventures, family, laughter, love and a lot of wild imaginations. For every special occasion and holiday, we got together to celebrate. We maintained a very close bond back then and still do, to this day. Coming from a multicultural and multiracial background, we learned to love and appreciate our differences and to respect everyone regardless of complexion, creed or class and treat people like we would love to be treated.
My upbringing was probably quite similar to others from my generation. We were taught that the values and morals that guide our lives would be an asset to our future. We were encouraged to pursue our dreams and a solid education. I would not be the individual I am today without my parents, my extended family, my teachers and the entire community. It really does take a village to raise a child and in my time, the village really did their part. They were all instrumental in my upbringing. My grandparents had so much influence in our lives and my mom was the ultimate teacher. Even after she died, my entire family continued to rally around my sister and me to ensure that we had everything we needed, temporally, emotionally and spiritually.
“Losing people you love can be traumatic”
During my childhood, I experienced a significant amount of loss. Losing people who you love, can be quite traumatic and when it becomes a recurring event, that trauma resets. I did suffer from a broken heart for many years. The foundation and matriarch of our family died when I was nine years old and then my grandfather, my baby sister and my mom, all before I was thirteen years old. The challenge at that time, was living my life without them. Thankfully for my extended family, those challenges became my strengths and although the burden was never taken away, it was surely made lighter and more bearable. This hurt and pain appeared again in my adult life when my sister Shizelle Hernandez disappeared ten years ago. To date, she has not been found. This loss has been quite difficult due to the close bond we shared and the inconclusiveness of her disappearance.
“It was easy to follow in that path”
For my family and I, service to community and country was always paramount. It was instilled in us that when we are in the service of our fellow men, we are only in the service of our God. My family not only talked about their faith and spirituality, they lived it. So it was easy to follow in that path. At a fairly young age, I also believed that change needed to happen in my little community so that young people can have equal opportunities to succeed, empower themselves and be equipped with the necessary tools to at least prepare them for adult life.
These guiding principles are perhaps what drew me into the NGO sphere, where I have spent more than 15 years. I also spent 3 years abroad doing volunteer missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I am currently the interim Chief Executive Officer of Future Focus Empowerment Institute International, a local and US- registered NGO which is partially sustained through our social capital and network of social enterprises. We specialize in youth empowerment strategies, youth advocacy, piloting and designing psycho educational life skills training to our members to impact the socio-economic outcomes of their communities, nations and the entire world. We are serving young men and women in over thirty (30) countries across, Africa, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Destiny came knocking when opportunities seemed nonexistent”
The day that I resigned from my job, I received a call from Crystal Camejo, asking me to be a part of Future Focus. Everything fell into place from there and it has been life changing, to say the least. It was the best phone call that I’d gotten in years. Destiny came knocking when opportunities seemed nonexistent, but I was not worried. I was prepared. With a desire to be of service to human kind and my love of traveling, I could not say no. My time with this NGO and others, has helped me to propel the lives of so many young people and in return, my own life.
At Future Focus, we each try to guide and mentor one another along the journey and I am eternally grateful for the guidance and support I have received thus far. My family, however, has been my foundation and they are my main supporters. They support me in everything, almost by default. As long as it makes you happy, brings you peace and maintains the good name, my family’s cosigning on everything I do. They keep me rooted.
“The only thing that separates us from anyone else is the visibility of our successful beautiful people”
Many people may not have the support of their families so mentorship and coaching are critical and platforms like MENtions are important. We need to highlight positive black men who are forces and shining light in their own way. For too long “Black” has always been perceived in the most derogatory ways possible. It is time for us to change that. Black men need to be included in spaces like the mainstream media, for example. The next generation of black men needs to see representations of themselves so that they can aspire to become their best selves or even dare to dream. I believe the only thing that separates us from anyone else is the visibility of our successful beautiful people. It is when we see them, we can see ourselves and know that we can do anything and reach to heights we never thought possible.
As a black man, I want to be remembered not only as a man of success but one of significance and one that created a legacy in planting seeds for the generation now and the next and so many others to come. I also want to make an impact, specifically in the youth space. I want to be the best mentor in helping them develop and maximize their talents, strengths and skills. To effect change in the world with selfless service and to remain a leader with a small L, a servant leader, one who can fall in love everyday with the work I do and the people I’m entrusted to serve.
I want all young men to know that patience is key! Be very careful how you speak to yourself and how you see yourself. Too often, we wish to achieve a particular standard of life or certain goals at an appointed time and sometimes it may not go according to plan. Please be patient with yourself for you are exactly where you need to be. Maybe it’s a time to reflect, refocus and reimagine what you want to do or the direction you must go.
In addition to the Interim CEO of Future Focus International, Davon is also the Executive Producer & Host of Future Focus Fridays, an online programme/platform for young people to empower each other and amplify their voices to the issues that affect them directly and indirectly.